DRUNK DRIVER JAILED FOR KILLING MOTORWAY WORKER ON M23

A builder has been jailed for 10 years after driving into a coned-off motorway roadworks area and killing a highways worker, Lewes Crown Court heard. Vilius Domarkas was described in proceedings as "too drunk to stand up" at the time of the crash on the M23 in the early hours of 8 July. The worker, named as Anthony Howe and from Kent, had stepped out of his vehicle only seconds before Domarkas struck him. Domarkas pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. The judge also disqualified him from driving for 16 years and eight months and ordered the forfeiture of his van.

The court was told Domarkas had just flown into Stansted Airport from his native Lithuania, where he had been in rehabilitation for a drinking problem, when the crash occurred. He had also recently separated from his wife, according to evidence heard in court. Witnesses reported seeing him driving erratically and drifting between lanes in the moments before he hit Howe. Bodycam footage shown to the court captured Domarkas slurring his words as he was given a breathalyser test following the crash.

The sentencing at Lewes Crown Court concludes the criminal case against Domarkas over Howe's death. The lengthy driving ban, running well beyond his prison term, means Domarkas will not be permitted to drive again for over 16 years after his release. The forfeiture order strips him of the van involved in the crash. Howe's death adds to concerns raised by highways bodies about the safety of roadworkers operating in live traffic environments, though no further legal proceedings were confirmed in the reports of the case.